dance

Preview of Company C in “Arcane: A Tale of All Hallow’s Eve”

Halloween, a sacred night celebrated around the world that leads into the Day of the Dead, is the night where the veil between life and death is thin.  It is a night of communicating with ancestors while bringing to light aspects of our character with roots in imagination and esoteric knowledge.

Arcane: A Tale of All Hallow’s Eve is a new full-length work by Company C Contemporary Ballet, based in Pleasant Hill, California.  Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Company C’s Artistic Director Charles Anderson about Arcane, which he characterizes as, “a show for everyone, kids and adults, like Cirque du Soleil.”

Company C in Bolero by Charles Anderson. Dancers: Edilsa Armendariz, Chantelle Pianetta, Meghan Steffens, Daniella ZlatarevA former member of the New York City Ballet, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2014 Live Blessay Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2015 Izzie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Restaging/Revival/ Reconstruction.

For Arcane he has teamed up with composer Mike Krisukas of Zen for Primates, set and lighting designer Patrick Toebe, costume designer Laura Hazlet,16 dancers, 9 musicians, and a narrator to present an evening of dance theater that will tantalize all senses from the moment one enters the space at Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, San Francisco, to the curtain’s final fall.

Founded in 2002 as a repertory company, Company C presents works by contemporary choreographers including Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor, Lar Lubovitch and Paul Taylor.

Being a repertory company was good and bad, according to Anderson.  Every choreography needs interpreting and editing for the individuality of that company, while conveying a pure version of what the choreographer wants.  Jerome Robbins (best known for the choreography of West Side Story) was a featured guest choreographer for Company C, and was “good at editing himself,” said Anderson.

Last year the company began to focus on, “what we had wanted to do for a long time – large-scale projects and original full–length contemporary ballets.” Anderson wants to revise the entire experience of going to see dances.  He wants to involve all of his audience’s senses in an evening from start to finish. From scratch scents to the smell of fire with his Pacific Islander Poi ball spinners, to incredible music, dance, and lighting, Arcane gives voice to the voiceless through the magic of theater.

Halloween is a global day of freedom, and Arcane is an invitation to free people.  There are different aspects to freedom. “You don’t have to wait until Halloween to be free,” says Anderson.  “We are most free in our anonymity.”

Company C Contemporary Ballet will present the world premiere of his new, evening-length ballet, Arcane: A Tale of All Hallows’ Eve in seven performances October 24-31 in San Francisco’s Cowell Theater. The production features an original story and choreography by Anderson, a commissioned musical score by Mike Krisukas, steam punk inspired set and lighting designs by Patrick Toebe and costumes by Laura Hazlet. It will be performed by a company of 16 dancers, 9 musicians and a narrator.

Performances run on two weekends, Oct. 24 and 25 and Oct 30 and 31. There will be receptions for the audience and artists after the opening night and closing night performances. Tickets are $25-$55 and may be purchased through the website, www.companycballet.org.

—Shantee Baker

Photo from Charles Anderson’s Boléro. Dancers: Edilsa Armendariz, Chantelle Pianetta, Meghan Steffens and Daniella Zlatarev; photo courtesy of Company C.